Written Answers Wednesday 18 March 2009

Scottish Executive

Care Commission

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received from the audit sub-committee of the board of the Care Commission, which was established to review its performance against published performance targets.

Shona Robison: The Audit Committee of the Board of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care ("the Care Commission") does not report to the Scottish Government but to the full Board of the Care Commission.

  The terms of reference of the Care Commission’s Audit Committee are, in summary, all matters relating to:

  the internal control arrangements of the Care Commission;

  the external and internal audit arrangements, and

  overseeing risk management and business continuity planning arrangements.

  Ministers and officials meet the Care Commission regularly to discuss performance, and the Care Commission’s Annual Report and Accounts are laid in the Scottish Parliament. The annual report for 2007-09 was laid on 14 November.

  More information about the Audit Committee’s activities can be obtained from the Chief Executive of the Care Commission. Her contact details are:

  Ms Jacquie Roberts Chief Executive Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD14NY.

Care of Older People

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will meet the recommendation in Lord Sutherland’s Independent Review of Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland to produce national outcomes and a national performance framework that makes specific reference to securing the welfare of older people.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has accepted Lord Sutherland’s 12 recommendations in full and these are being taken forward alongside a wider package of measures we are developing in collaboration with local government and health service partners.

  The government’s National Performance Framework focuses all of government and public services on a single overarching common purpose and provides clarity through a set of purpose targets and 15 National Outcomes that describe a 10-year vision of the kind of Scotland we want to create.

  The interests of older people are reflected in a number of the National Outcomes. Full details of the outcomes the government wants to achieve and how well Scotland is progressing in pursuit of these aims can be found on the Scotland Performs website. Beneath the national level, strategic local priorities are aligned to the 15 National Outcomes and are set out in Single Outcome Agreements prepared by each local authority working with Community Planning Partners (CPPs).

  The government recognises that other activity supports the achievement of the Purpose and National Outcomes. Where Community Care outcomes are concerned there is a National Outcomes Framework for Community Care Services which includes measures and targets relevant specifically to improving the quality of systems and processes which support delivery of outcomes for older people and other community care clients. All CPPs have been encouraged to use the framework as a basis for assessing and presenting progress towards more effective joint delivery of community care services and better outcomes for service users.

Children

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20693 by Shona Robison on 4 March 2009, how obesity services and support for children can be planned given that data are not available for NHS Grampian, the former NHS Greater Glasgow, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland.

Shona Robison: National data on levels of childhood obesity are available from the Scottish Health Survey and new data will be available later in 2009. We have used data from the most recent Scottish Health Survey (2003) to determine the HEAT targets for each health board in delivery of behaviour change programmes for overweight children.

  Although data is not available through the national Child Health School System (CHSP-School) in these NHS boards areas for height and weight in primary seven, the health boards should have their own systems for monitoring purposes.

  It is a matter for NHS boards to use and develop appropriate data to allow them to deliver effective interventions.

Early Years Framework

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support pilot initiatives on play linked to the Early Years Framework.

Adam Ingram: The early years framework sets out a long-term objective to have high-quality play opportunities in every community. It will be for each community planning partnership to decide how services, including pilot initiatives, should be planned and delivered locally to support improved outcomes.

Early Years Framework

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make the provision of play facilities a statutory requirement on local authorities.

Adam Ingram: The early years framework makes clear the commitment of the Scottish Government and COSLA to improving outcomes for children the importance of play in meeting that commitment.

  The concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA sets out the terms of a new relationship based on mutual respect and partnership. It will be for community planning partners, through the single outcome agreement (SOA) process, to plan and deliver improved outcomes at the local level.

  The Scottish Government therefore currently has no plans to make the provision of play facilities a statutory requirement.

Early Years Framework

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the success of the play aspects of the Early Years Framework.

Adam Ingram: Measures of success of all aspects of the early years framework, including play, will be based on outcomes and appropriate indicators, rather than on implementation of specific actions. The Scottish Government and local partners have committed to working together to develop appropriate local indicators, and this will include work on an indicator covering children’s involvement in play and physical activity.

Eating Disorders

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women aged (i) 10 to 16, (ii) 17 to 23 and (iii) 24 to 30 were treated for an eating disorder in each of the last 10 years.

Shona Robison: The exact number of men and women treated for an eating disorder (i.e. anorexia, bulimia and other psychological eating disorders) in Scotland, is not available centrally. However, national estimates of the number of people consulting a member of the primary care practice team because of eating disorders can be given based on PTI (Practice Team Information). PTI data are obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices. This sample covers the full range of age, sex, deprivation and urban/rural classes existing in Scotland.

  The estimated number of men and women consulting a member of the practice team (GP, practice nurse, district nurse or health visitor) for an eating disorder in Scotland, during the financial years 2003-04 to 2006-07, based on PTI data, is shown in table 1. Estimates are standardised by deprivation, and figures are rounded to the nearest 50. Estimates are provided for the requested age groups (10-16 years, 17-23 years, and 24-30 years) for females, however the small number of cases in males does not permit the age breakdown, so for males only totals over all three age groups are shown.

  Table 1. Estimated Number of Men and Women Consulting for an Eating Disorder in Scotland: Financial Years 2003-04 to 2006-07*

  

 Gender
 Age Group
 Estimated Number of Patients Consulting


 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07*


 Female
 10-16
 200
 200
 300
 350


 Female
 17-23
 950
 850
 1,000
 650


 Female
 24-30
 600
 400
 450
 500


 Female
 10-30
 1,750
 1,400
 1,750
 1,450


 Male
 10-30
 100
 150
 150
 200


 Both Sexes
 10-30
 1,850
 1,550
 1,900
 1,650



  Note: *Estimates for 2006-07 are based on consultations with GPs and practice nurses only

  Most patients suffering from eating disorders will be treated in primary care. More severe cases may however be referred to hospitals. The numbers of patients whose eating disorder results in admission to acute (non-obstetric, non-psychiatric) or psychiatric hospitals (tables 2 and 3, respectively) are shown below. Note that there may be double counting between the PTI statistics and the hospital statistics below.

  Table 2. Patients Discharged from Acute Hospital (Non-Obstetric, Non-Psychiatric) with any Diagnosis of Eating Disorder: Years Ending 31 March 1999 to 2008

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008


 Both Genders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 10-16
 32
 22
 25
 22
 32
 24
 24
 25
 26
 39


 17-23
 30
 30
 45
 38
 47
 49
 43
 54
 69
 75


 24-30
 27
 41
 36
 34
 32
 38
 38
 35
 42
 50


 Female
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 10-16
 30
 21
 22
 19
 26
 22
 22
 23
 22
 34


 17-23
 29
 27
 39
 36
 42
 44
 38
 53
 66
 64


 24-30
 23
 38
 33
 34
 31
 34
 36
 33
 41
 45


 Male
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 10-16
 2
 1
 3
 3
 6
 2
 2
 2
 4
 5


 17-23
 1
 3
 6
 2
 5
 5
 5
 1
 3
 11


 24-30
 4
 3
 3
 -
 1
 4
 2
 2
 1
 5



  Source: SMR01 Ref: HIG/IR2009 Date: 25 February 2009.

  Table 3. Patients Discharged from Scottish Psychiatric Hospitals with any Diagnosis of Eating Disorder: Years Ending 31 March 1999 to 2008

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008


 Both Genders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 10-16
 23
 25
 20
 14
 16
 13
 28
 17
 17
 28


 17-23
 32
 27
 30
 31
 29
 32
 23
 26
 33
 22


 24-30
 31
 30
 28
 20
 22
 21
 19
 15
 27
 32


 Female
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 10-16
 20
 23
 19
 13
 16
 12
 27
 17
 16
 25


 17-23
 31
 26
 26
 30
 27
 29
 21
 26
 32
 20


 24-30
 29
 28
 28
 19
 22
 21
 19
 14
 27
 30


 Male
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 10-16
 3
 2
 1
 1
 -
 1
 1
 -
 1
 3


 17-23
 1
 1
 4
 1
 2
 3
 2
 -
 1
 2


 24-30
 2
 2
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -
 1
 -
 2



  Source: SMR04 Ref: HIG/IR2009 Date: 25 February 2009

  Note that the figures are based on numbers of patients who have at least one discharge episode in any given year. Patients are counted once within each year but may be counted more than once across years. Patients with an episode in both acute (non-obstetric, non psychiatric) and psychiatric hospital within a year will be counted in both tables.

Eating Disorders

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) 10 to 16, (b) 17 to 23 and (c) 24 to 30 were treated for an eating disorder in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: This information is not available broken down by NHS board.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29579 by Robert Brown on 30 November 2006, whether actual costings are now available and, if so, what these are.

Adam Ingram: The actual annual costs incurred directly by the Scottish Government are 2003-04=£453,000; 2004-05=£680,000; 2005-06=£843,000 (this included £150,000 for the purchase and set up of a records management system); 2006-07=£541,000, and 2007-08=£402,000.

Freedom of Information

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests it (a) received and (b) responded to in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008 and at what cost.

Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Government inherited a system from the previous administration that did not record all requests centrally. In particular, only the more complex requests tended to be recorded centrally. This means that the information held in relation to the number of requests pre 1 January 2008 is not comprehensive.

  As of 1 January 2008, the Scottish Government put in place an Information Request Tracking System which has considerably improved the accuracy of the information we hold on request handling. All requests are now recorded (except those which are regularly and easily dealt with, such as requests for consultation papers and publications).

  In 2007, the Scottish Government recorded 779 requests and issued 431 responses. In 2008, we recorded 1,258 requests and issued 1,149 responses.

  Regarding the cost of responding to FOI requests I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21200 on 16 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have the facilities for testing for thrombophilia.

Shona Robison: Each NHS board has access to thrombophilia testing, either locally or through well-established arrangements for transferring specimens to a laboratory which undertakes these investigations.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive by what means people can be referred to NHS facilities for tests for thrombophilia.

Shona Robison: Like any other laboratory test provided by the NHS, people are referred for thrombophilia testing by the individual who is providing their clinical care, for example, GPs, hospital doctors or doctors within community-based services such as family planning or Well Women services.

Health

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths have been attributed to thrombosis in each year from 1998 to 2002.

Shona Robison: The information requested is shown in the following table, and represents the best estimates available, rather an exact count, for the following reasons.

  This information uses groups of causes of deaths. In the case of some of the groups, it is thought that all the deaths from those causes are due to the specified type of thrombosis; in the case of the other groups, it is thought that most of the deaths from those causes are due to the specified types of thrombosis. This is because thrombosis is not a diagnosis, but a mechanism through which diseases cause their effects. Doctors certifying death record the disease or condition relating to death, but do not record the mechanism of disease, which is not known in every case. Some conditions are caused exclusively by thrombosis, but for other conditions, such as stroke, thrombosis contributes only to some, or most, cases. For such conditions, information about the proportion of cases in which there was thrombosis is not routinely available.

  In addition, the groups are defined, for the years 1998 and 1999, in terms of codes from the ninth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-9), and, for the years 2000 to 2002, in terms of codes from the tenth revision of that classification (ICD-10). This is because the General Register Office for Scotland used ICD-9 codes to classify deaths which were registered up to 1999, and ICD-10 codes for deaths which were registered from 2000.

  The figures for 1998 and 1999 are therefore on a different basis from those for 2000 and later years, due to the change in the classification. The figures for 1998 and 1999 are likely to be less reliable than those for 2000 onwards, because the ICD-9 code-list was generally less detailed than the ICD-10 one. The groups shown here may therefore differ from those which have been used, on other occasions, to provide statistics of the numbers of deaths caused by particular types of thrombosis.

  As the figures demonstrate, the vast majority of these deaths are caused by clots in the coronary arteries, which result in certain types of heart attack, and clots in the brain, which result in certain types of stroke.

  

 Cause of Death
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 Coronary thrombosis - all cases are due to it (1)
 8,809
 8,577
 7,508
 7,326
 7,269


 Coronary thrombosis - most cases are due to it (2)
 4,592
 4,747
 4,793
 4,469
 4,295


 Cerebral thrombosis (venous and arterial) - all cases are due to it (3)
 73
 102
 78
 70
 51


 Cerebral thrombosis (venous and arterial) - most cases are due to cerebral or pre-cerebral thrombosis (4)
 4,899
 4,489
 3,888
 3,647
 3,702


 Peripheral arterial thrombosis - most cases are due to it (5)
 247
 281
 229
 261
 264


 Venous thrombosis at various sites - all cases are due to it (6)
 3
 2
 2
 2
 2


 Venous thrombosis at various sites - most cases are due to it (7)
 119
 125
 193
 197
 202


 Other conditions caused by thrombosis - all cases are due to it (8)
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Other conditions caused by thrombosis - most cases are due to it (9)
 33
 23
 18
 14
 9



  Source: General Register Office for Scotland

  (1) - ICD-9 code 410.9.

  ICD-10 codes I21, I22, I23.6, I24.0. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I21.9, which covers "acute myocardial infarction, unspecified".

  (2) - ICD-9 codes 411.9, 412.9, 414.

  ICD-10 code I25, which covers "chronic ischaemic heart disease".

  (3) - ICD-9 codes 434.0, 437.6, 671.5.

  ICD-10 codes I63.0, I63.3, I63.6, I67.6, O22.5, O87.3. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I63.3, which covers "cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of cerebral arteries".

  (4) - ICD-9 codes 325.9, 433, 434.9, 436.9, 437.0, 437.1, 438.9.

  ICD-10 codes G08, I63.2, I63.5, I63.8, I63.9, I64, I65, I66, I67.2, I67.8, I69.3, I69.4. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I64, which covers "stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction".

  (5) - ICD-9 codes 444, 557.

  ICD-10 codes I74, K55.0, K55.1, K55.9. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I74.9, which covers "embolism and thrombosis of unspecified artery".

  (6) - ICD-9 codes 362.3, 452.9, 671.2, 671.3, 671.4.

  ICD-10 codes H34.8, I81, O22.2, O22.3, O87.1.

  (7) - ICD-9 codes 451, 671.2, 671.9.

  ICD-10 codes I80, O22.9, O87.0, O87.9. Includes, for example, ICD-10 code I80.2, which covers "phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities".

  (8) - ICD-9 codes - no suitable ICD-9 code.

  ICD-10 code I51.3.

  (9) - ICD-9 codes 336.1, 362.3, 453, 593.8, 607.8, 608.8, 663.6.

  ICD-10 codes O69.5, D73.5, G95.1, H34.2, I82, N28.0, N48.8, N50.1.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the charitable sector spent on research in universities in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2007-08 and (e) 2008-09, broken down by (i) institution, (ii) charity and (iii) research topic, and when new statistics will be available.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table provides details of charity income by institution in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

  

 Institution
2004-05 £
2005-06 £
2006-07 £


 Aberdeen, University of
 9,235,788
 8,280,866
 8,695,144


 Abertay Dundee, University of
 85,566
 155,224
 126,728


 Dundee, University of
 22,455,063
 19,644,127
 21,597,762


 Edinburgh College of Art
 10,899
 6,020
 0


 Edinburgh Napier University
 263,995
 198,537
 195,698


 Edinburgh, University of
 28,405,688
 31,549,604
 32,033,136


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 335,122
 354,015
 508,182


 Glasgow, University of
 36,618,793
 33,304,305
 27,783,420


 Heriot-Watt University
 218,000
 356,000
 414,000


 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
 257,402
 105,495
 349,465


 Robert Gordon University
 90,938
 115,773
 136,321


 Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama
 17,000
 0
 0


 St Andrews, University of
 2,048,704
 2,449,689
 3,182,335


 Stirling, University of
 1,222,823
 1,404,970
 1,002,865


 Strathclyde, University of
 3,269,530
 2,506,156
 2,930,679


 UHI Milennium Institute
 114,695
 120,086
 325,557


 West of Scotland, University of the
 176,638
 73,000
 110,955


 Total
 104,844,642
 100,623,868
 99,392,245



  A breakdown by charity and by research topic is not available as these details are not recorded in the published accounts of the institutions nor collected by the Scottish Funding Council. Figures for 2007-08 will be published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) later this year.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the charitable sector spent on medical research in universities in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2007-08 and (e) 2008-09, broken down by (i) institution and (ii) charity, and when new statistics will be available.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table provides details of charity income on medical research by institution in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

  

 Institution
2004-05 £
2005-06 £
2006-07 £


 Aberdeen, University of
 7,245,154
 6,404,308
 6,663,053


 Dundee, University of
 8,309,655
 7,841,500
 8,565,930


 Edinburgh, University of
 15,377,381
 18,458,302
 17,159,463


 Edinburgh Napier University
 45,571
 93,113
 110,285


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 233,074
 275,770
 364,406


 Glasgow, University of
 27,056,570
 25,887,579
 20,790,285


 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
 257,402
 105,495
 342,732


 Robert Gordon University
 86,027
 69,375
 99,722


 Stirling, University of
 42,655
 78,011
 264,513


 Strathclyde, University of
 1,606,839
 1,285,774
 1,685,324


 UHI Millennium Institute
 0
 6,780
 186,709


 West of Scotland, University of the
 8,574
 73,000
 28,378


 Total
 60,268,902
 60,579,007
 56,260,800



  Note: For the purposes of this table, "medical research" is defined as 11 particular Units of Assessment, such as Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Nursing, in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. However, it is recognised that some other subjects outwith this definition, such as Chemistry, may include an element of charity funding for medical research.

  Figures for 2007-08 will be published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) later this year. Details of charity income by particular charity are not recorded in the published accounts of the institutions nor collected by the Scottish Funding Council and are therefore unavailable.

Justice

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide assistance to small housing associations that have expressed concerns over the cost of cleaning homes where a homicide has occurred.

Kenny MacAskill: In these circumstances the rents paid by tenants to housing associations will normally cover such costs.

Justice

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether individuals or families in privately owned or privately rented accommodation who have no insurance will be assisted in meeting cleaning costs in the event that a homicide has occurred in their home.

Kenny MacAskill: As announced on 8 February 2009, the police will meet the costs of decontamination and cleaning after a homicide when these costs cannot be met by a landlord or by an insurer.

Medical Students

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons it considers it necessary to charge English, Northern Irish and Welsh students a medical top-up fee to study medicine at Scottish universities.

Fiona Hyslop: The higher rate of tuition fees for medicine was introduced by the then Scottish Executive as voted on and agreed by Parliament on 20 April 2005. They claimed there was a need to increase medical tuition fees to the same level as the new tuition fees in England to prevent a disproportionate number of students from England applying for places at Scottish Medical Schools.

Mental Health

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ex-service personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder most commonly receive (a) psychological therapy only, (b) drugs only or (c) a combination of psychological therapy and drugs from the NHS.

Shona Robison: The information is not held centrally. Treatments for post-traumatic stress will be based on a multi-disciplinary needs assessment to help achieve the best possible outcomes for the individual.

Mental Health

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what work it is undertaking with the Ministry of Defence to improve treatments for ex-service personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Shona Robison: We continue to work with the Ministry of Defence, NHS boards, veterans organisations such as Combat Stress, and other partners to further improve structured care and support for former service personnel with mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

  There are a range of evidence based treatments for PTSD which are best determined by the clinician, in consultation with other professionals, the individual and where appropriate the carer(s) or family, on the basis of individual needs assessment, and the priority to be attached to NHS treatment for service personnel.

  The newly established UK Psychological Trauma Society, supported by the Scottish Government, will also have a role to play in promoting good clinical practice among those working with traumatised individuals, including former service personnel.

  Our partnership Pilot with the MoD, NHS Lothian and others to provide care and support for Veterans in Edinburgh, will inform the further development of improved mental health services for Veterans across Scotland. It is expected to be operational this month.

  We also continue to work with all partners to advance the ambitions set out in the 2008 MoD command paper and our own commitments paper published the same day for improving and extending care and support for service personnel and veterans across a wide range of services.

Mental Health

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that ex-service personnel are given priority for NHS mental health services.

Shona Robison: The extension of priority treatment for services related health issues was extended in Scotland with effect from 29 February 2008 to all veterans, not just those in receipt of a war pension. It applies only to conditions related to service and it is for the clinical practitioner to decide, on the balance of probabilities, whether the condition is related to service.

  We continue to work closely with NHS Scotland and their partners to deliver mental health care, services and support which reflect this priority, and which respond to the distinct needs and cultures of veterans and service personnel.

Ministerial Engagements

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what official engagements were undertaken by each minister during the 2008 Christmas and New Year parliamentary recess.

John Swinney: The information requested is listed in the following table:

  

 Minister
 Date
 Engagement 


 First Minister
 20 December 2008
 Recording of New Year Message


 
 
 Meeting with Mark Shaw


 
 
 Meeting with Ian McWhirter


 
 30 December 2008
 Interview with BBC World at One


 
 4 January 2009
 Interview with Glen Campbell, BBC Radio Scotland


 Minister for Parliamentary Business
 Nil
 


 Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture 
 Nil
 


 Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
 Nil
 


 Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism
 Nil
 


 Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
 Nil
 


 Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
 Nil
 


 Minister for Schools and Skills
 22 December 2008
 Interview with BBC


 
 
 Interview with STV


 Minister for Children and Early Years
 Nil
 


 Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
 Nil
 


 Minister for Public Health
 22 December 2008
 Visit to Armistead Child Development Centre


 Minister for Communities and Sport
 22 December 2008
 Launch of the Domestic Abuse Campaign


 Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment
 Nil
 


 Minister for Environment
 Nil
 


 Cabinet Secretary for Justice
 22 December 2008
 Meeting with Scottish Law Commission


 
 
 Meeting Prof Alan Miller


 
 23 December 2008
 Launch of Unight Underage Campaign


 
 29 December 2008
 Visit to Good Shepherd


 
 
 Visit to Kibble Secure Unit


 
 30 December 2008
 Interview with BBC 


 
 
 Visit to Central Scotland Police 


 Minister for Community Safety
 Nil

Ministerial Engagements

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the official engagements were of the First Minister and cabinet secretaries in each month of 2008, broken down by (a) engagement, (c) minister and (c) cost.

John Swinney: The information requested is published proactively and can be found on the Scottish Government Website. The information for the remainder of 2008 will be published by the end of April 2009. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/MinisterialEngagements .

Ministerial Visits

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have visited Manchester since 10 November 2007 to discuss how the city used the 2002 Commonwealth Games to promote (a) economic urban regeneration, (b) tourism and (c) healthy lifestyles, broken down by date and minister.

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and sports facility developments in Scotland, how many times ministers have visited Manchester since 10 November 2007 to learn more about the Manchester Velodrome and National Cycling Centre.

Shona Robison: There have been no such ministerial visits. However, after Glasgow’s successful bid, Scottish Government officials visited Manchester officials in April 2008 to discuss and learn from their experience of hosting the games.

NHS Staff

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of NHS clinical staff who are carriers of MRSA.

Nicola Sturgeon: No such estimate is available. However, current guidelines state that routine staff screening is not recommended. It is the responsibility of the Infection Control Management Team within individual hospitals to make any decision on staff screening based on risk assessments.

NHS Staff

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS hospital staff were dismissed in 2008 for failing to follow hygiene procedures.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is held at NHS board level. All NHS staff have a duty to ensure the safest possible environment for patients. Hand Hygiene is a simple but essential part of our drive to tackle infection. A zero tolerance approach to non compliance with hand hygiene procedures by health care workers has now been introduced.

  Each NHS board’s Employees Conduct Policy sets out the current arrangements for addressing and monitoring standards of conduct at work and is being used to ensure that the zero tolerance approach to non-compliance with hand hygiene procedures is applied.

Nutrition

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities on measures to promote healthy eating and what the cost was of providing such guidance in each year for which information is available.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Executive have issued guidance to local authorities to promote healthy eating as follows:

  

 
Hungry for Success
H4S Training Manual
Free Fruit in Schools
Nutrient Specifications
Healthy Eating in Schools
 Totals


 2002-03
£29,514.63
 
 
 
 
£29,514.63


 2003-04
 
 
£259.00
£24,474.67
 
£24,733.67


 2004-05
 
£6,144.50
 
£11,828.28
 
£17,972.78


 2005-06
 
 
 
 
 
 


 2006-07
 
 
 
£3,829.50
 
£3829.50


 2007-08
 
 
 
 
 
 


 2008-09
 
 
 
 
£26,734.65
£26,734.65


 Totals
£29,514.63
£6,144.50
£259.00
£40,132.45
£26,734.65
£102,785.23

Parliamentary Questions

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many parliamentary questions each minister has dealt with in each month since May 2007 and how this compares with an equivalent period up to May 2007.

Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Government does not hold the information on a monthly basis. The current administration collates and publishes statistics on parliamentary questions on a quarterly basis, as did the previous administration. The audits for each quarter since 1 January 2001 can be found in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Piracy

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether piracy is an offence under Scots law and, if so, what the maximum penalty is on conviction.

Kenny MacAskill: Piracy is an offence at common law. The maximum penalty on conviction on indictment is accordingly life imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 also incorporates provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defining piracy, and is relevant where the acts occur outwith Scottish territorial waters. Hijacking of aircraft is dealt with by section 1 of the Aviation Security Act 1982, the maximum penalty on conviction on indictment being life imprisonment.

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 5 March 2009 ( Official Report c. 15439) that a police strength projection study will be undertaken, how the study will be conducted and what factors will be taken into consideration.

Kenny MacAskill: The police strength projection study will consider forecast recruitment, retirals and other leavers, and include other factors that influence head count.

Population

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the predicted birth rate is in the Greater Glasgow area for 2009-10.

John Swinney: The latest information on the projected number of births in each NHS board area, based on information about the estimated population in mid-2006, can be found in the Population Projections for Scottish Areas publication at:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/popproj/06pop-proj-scottishareas/index.html.

  There are projected to be 14,059 births in Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS board area in 2009-10. This gives a birth rate of 11.8 births per 1,000 population.

Pre-School Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its statisticians consider is the most accurate way of measuring the number of General Teaching Council for Scotland registered nursery teachers in order to allow comparison between 2007 and 2008.

Adam Ingram: The full-time equivalent (FTE) and head count measures provide alternative ways of comparing the number of General Teaching Council for Scotland registered nursery teachers over time. Which measure is chosen depends upon the purpose of the comparison.

Prison Service

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals are in prison in Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  As of 25 February 2009 there were 293 foreign nationals in SPS custody. This equates to 3.7% of the total population.

School Education (Ministerial Powers and Independent Schools) (Scotland) Act 2004

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29587 by Robert Brown on 17 November 2006, whether actual costings are now available and, if so, what these are.

Keith Brown: Details of actual substantive costings available centrally are set out in the following table in the same categories as the Financial Memorandum to the School Education (Ministerial Powers and Independent Schools) (Scotland) Bill. The annual costs relate to the last 2 financial years:

  

 Year
 Scottish Executive/Government
 HMIE
 Costs to Schools


 Set up
 Annual Costs
 Set up
 Annual Costs
 Set up
 Annual costs


 2006-07
£0
£2,800
£0
£23,400
£0
£6,000


 2007-08
£0
£3,500
£0
£23,100
£0
£7,500



  The figures in the table relating to the costs to the government and to schools are only estimates which have been based on the unit costs set out in the Financial Memorandum.

Schools

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the condition rating of each primary and secondary school building for each local authority in the west of Scotland.

Keith Brown: The information is published on the government website at the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1038/0078775.xls .

Scottish Futures Trust

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust will adopt the same non-profit distributing model as adopted by the previous administration and, if not, how the models will differ.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the traditional model of PPP will be allowable as a standard variant in future Scottish Futures Trust contracts.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an average length of contract is envisaged under the proposed Scottish Futures Trust model and, if so, what that length is.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Scottish Futures Trust will use to decide which funding model is suitable for an individual infrastructure project.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding models the Scottish Futures Trust has considered and whether there are any that it has rejected.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding models it has selected for projects that are pending.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Futures Trust will aggregate contracts.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust will work collaboratively with the public and private sectors to help identify and deploy approaches that best meet the needs and circumstances of individual projects and programmes, taking account of a range of potential delivery and funding options, the availability and cost of capital funding from the market and from public sector sources, and the requirement to achieve maximum value for taxpayer’s money.

Scottish Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish ministers have had any communication with Oakholdings plc since May 2007.

John Swinney: Scottish ministers have no record of any contact with Oakholdings plc since May 2007.

Scottish Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on investing in bodies registered offshore.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government, including its Executive Agencies, do not invest resources outside the public sector. Bodies sponsored by the Scottish Government, essentially non-departmental public bodies, are not permitted to make investments of a speculative nature.

Scottish Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has funds deposited or invested in offshore accounts.

John Swinney: No. The Scottish Government does not invest resources outside the public sector and does not deposit funds in offshore accounts.

Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29609 by Robert Brown on 17 November 2006, whether actual costings are now available and, if so, what these are.

Keith Brown: Details of set-up and annual costs available centrally are set out in the following table in the same categories as the Financial Memorandum to the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill. The annual costs relate to 2007-08 – the last full financial year:

  

 Scottish Government
 Local Authorities
 Other Bodies and Individuals


 Set up
 Annual Costs
 Set Up
 Annual Costs
 Set Up
 Annual Costs


£0.193 million
 n/a
 n/a
£1.085 million
 n/a
£0.023 million

Sport

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of resources has been ring-fenced for local authorities to fund grassroots sporting activities in 2009 and what the level was last year.

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it has given to local authorities to provide subsidised lets to after school sports clubs.

Shona Robison: Under the new relationship set out in the concordat it is for local authorities to shape and deliver local services to deliver on the priorities for their local area whilst contributing to improving national outcomes for Scotland. Councils now have discretion to allocate this money to where it is most needed and when it is most needed, and have the flexibility to adapt that allocation to local circumstances.

Transport

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out a review of recreational off-road biking facilities with the aim of developing guidelines to assist in the establishment of suitable facilities across Scotland.

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the Scottish Auto Cycle Union to develop a national recreational rider registration system.

Shona Robison: In taking forward the development of the sport it is important that the Scottish Auto Cycle Union (SACU) prepare a facilities strategy which would identify existing provision and future requirements. The Scottish Government, through sportscotland, will continue to work with SACU in taking forward all aspects of the development of motorcycle sport in Scotland to ensure that it is in a position to make an effective contribution to achieving the outcomes of Reaching Higher .

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Employment

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many staff have taken voluntary redundancy since 2003, broken down by directorate.

Mike Pringle: The SPCB’s policy on compulsory redundancy states that one of the measures used to avoid or minimise compulsory redundancies includes inviting staff to volunteer for redundancy on compulsory terms. Since 2003, three members of staff have volunteered for redundancy thereby avoiding the need for a compulsory redundancy process.

  Directorate of Resources and Governance – one member of staff

  Directorate of Access and Information – two members of staff.

Review of SPCB Supported Bodies

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what evidence it collected and consultation with stakeholders it undertook prior to proposing a merger of the office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland with the Scottish Human Rights Commission.

Tom McCabe: Parliament has established the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee to consider and report on among other things the structure of the bodies supported by the SPCB and to make recommendations accordingly.

  The SPCB submitted its proposals based on its experiences of dealing with the SPCB supported bodies since the establishment of each of the offices. The SPCB was aware that each of the officeholders would themselves give evidence to the committee.

Visitor Services

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its reasons are for not renewing its contract with the Scottish Tourist Guides Association.

Tricia Marwick: The SPCB’s decision not to renew the contract was taken for strategic reasons in the context of the Parliament’s developing approach to public engagement.

  In October 2008, the SPCB agreed that tours for Members’ guests and the general public should, in future, be provided free-of-charge by Scottish Parliament staff. From September 2009 members of the public will no longer have to pay to take a guided tour of the Holyrood building.

  The costs of the commercial tour contract have not been met by tour income, despite action being taken to address this by reducing the number of guides timetabled daily, and rescheduling tour departure times to reduce costs.

  The provision of free-of-charge tours, which have not been possible given the commercial nature of the current contract, will bring tours into line with other aspects of the Parliament’s public engagement programme such as the education programme, crèche for visitors and public exhibitions and events which are also free for visitors.

Volunteering

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what mechanisms are in place to promote volunteering to staff.

Mike Pringle: The SPCB endeavours to provide maximum flexibility for employees to balance their work and private life, which includes making time for volunteering purposes. And it also looks to support any direct requests for staff to take time off for volunteering, working to ensure that we balance the needs of the business with personal wishes wherever this is possible.

  The SPCB observes all its statutory duties in terms of granting paid special leave for certain public duties. In addition, staff may apply for unpaid special leave to carry out voluntary and/or charitable work in the UK or abroad for any period of less than three months whilst a career break can be requested for a period of three months – two years for the same purpose.